Yesterday marked the 17th annual Colonial Day at the Oklahoma capitol – a historical cosplay gymboree where almost 500 students from around the state dressed in colonial garbs which resembled outfits worn by historical figures like George Washington, Betsy Ross, and many more mythologized American historical figures.

Via NewsOK.com:

Nearly 500 Oklahoma students recently traveled back in time and met such historical figures as Martha Washington and Benjamin Franklin during the 17th annual Colonial Day at the state Capitol.

The program was presented by Colonial Williamsburg and George Washington Teacher Institute alumni in partnership with the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Students from Arnett, Edmond, Enid, Gore, Midwest City, Moore, Oklahoma City, Putnam City, Stuart and Tuttle public schools were dressed in colonial-period attire for the hands-on history education event.

Oklahoma is the only state in the nation to host a Colonial Day event at its state Capitol. Students had the opportunity to interact with people from the past — portrayed by historical interpreters — and participate in such teacher-led sessions as colonial dancing, revolutionary soldier life, tin smithing and Native American history.

I mean, is it not a little strange to anyone else that this state is the only one who deems it acceptable to celebrate something like Colonial Day? I mean, the title of the day itself is loaded with various implications.

For example, colonialism didn’t give a rat’s ass about the indigenous people who were here before the European settlers. Even in the article, readers can see a photograph of a child wearing an Indian chief headdress. The person who wrote the caption underneath did a great job skidding across the line of a veiled falsehood.

Check this out:

The Oklahoma Legislature proposed House Bill 1989 in an effort to replace mandatory out-of-school suspensions with alternative punishments. Lawmakers say the bill would better protect classrooms and provide help for struggling students.

Via KOCO.com:

House bill 1989 would require schools to use restorative practices or alternative punishment areas instead of out-of-school suspensions. The bill also would require the students to apologize for their actions and complete community service, such as in-service activities.

“If we can help these children early on, I think we can set them on a different path,” said Rep. Jadine Nollan, R-Sand Springs.

The proposed legislation also would call for students to get counseling or treatment by a licensed mental health professional.

Some representatives believe the bill, if passed, would change the trajectory of troubled children and make them better citizens. Others representatives, like Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, say this bill would take local power away because each school would have to consider “alternative punishments first.”

Oklahomans have a hard time when it comes to taking corrective actions. The outcomes are either too extreme or handled so delicately that there’s almost no decisive outcome. I agree, there need to be consequences to actions which break the rules of society. Giving a student out-of-school suspension is much like telling an monkey to not fling their poop at the wall while feeding them their high-fiber meal.

Below, I have proposed 5 options for lawmakers to consider for alternatives to suspension: